The basic architecture of computing devices is known to include a central processing unit ("CPU"), system memory, input/output ports, an address generation unit ("AGU"), program control circuitry, interconnecting buses, audio processing circuitry and video processing circuitry. As the technology of computing device elements continues to advance, computing devices are being used in more and more commercial applications. For example, computer devices are used in video game players, personal computers, work stations, video cameras, video recorders, televisions, etc. The technological advances are also enhancing video quality, audio quality, and the speed at which the computing devices process data. The enhancements of video quality are a direct result of video graphic circuit evolution.
Video graphics circuits have evolved from providing simple text, and/or two-dimensional images to relatively complex three-dimensional images. In addition, video graphics circuit evolution allows computer displays, or monitors, to simultaneously display graphics data and video data. Typically, graphics data is generated by the central processing unit while performing particular software applications such as word processing applications, drawing applications, computer aided drafting applications, etc. A television encoder generates the video data as it receives signals via a television broadcast, cable television, satellite television, VCR player, and/or DVD player. The television encoder converts the video data into digitized video such that the video graphics circuit can process it and cause it to be displayed.
While existing technology allows video data and graphics data to simultaneously be displayed on computer monitors, there are noticeable differences between the displayed graphics data and the displayed video data The differences arise because the video signals (i.e., normally provided to a television) are analog signals, which are sampled by the video graphics processing circuitry at the pixel rate of the circuit (i.e., the rate at which the computer processes graphics data). As such, the analog signal is being sampled once per pixel. By only sampling the analog signals once per pixel, the resulting digitized video data may be sufficiently different, from pixel to pixel, to produce perceivable jagged edges of images being displayed. As such, video images, when displayed on a computer monitor, have adverse visual affects when compared to the video signals being displayed on a television.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus that allows video data to be displayed on a computer monitor with minimal adverse visual affects.